Principles and Proposals, 2022-2030

In line with its participation in the ‘1821-2021 Initiative’ and following the development of its Action Plans for The University of 2030 and Public Health in the 21st century, the Bodossaki Foundation is presenting the Environment and Climate Action Plan for the period up to 2030. The Action Plans have been developed under the auspices of H.E. The President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou and will be made available for the competent State authorities and other departments to make use of.

On 29 November the Environment and Climate Action Plan was presented as a discussion document at the Athens Concert Hall, in the presence of H.E. the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

For the Bodossaki Foundation, environmental protection is a fundamental prerequisite of public health, for the country’s sustainable economic life and for social well-being. The Environment and Climate Action Plan presents a ‘snapshot’ of the state of the environment in Greece today and concludes with proposals for cross-cutting reforms that will help achieve the desired levels of environmental conservation.

The Action Plan, which is available here, was developed by a Scientific Committee established following an invitation from the Foundation and consisting of the following members:

  • Dimitris Karavellas, CEO, WWF Greece, Coordinator of the Scientific Committee
  • Despoina Vokou, Professor Emeritus, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)
  • Dimosthenis Sarigiannis, Professor, School of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)

Theodota Nantsou, Head of Environmental Policy at WWF Greece, also participated as a scientific partner in drawing up the Action Plan. In addition, 17 scientists with international reputations, primarily in the academic community, offered constructive comments to the Environment and Climate Action Plan for the period up to 2030.

The Action Plan is organised into seven main sections, focusing on the major environmental challenges facing the current generation and expected to face the next: 1. Climate stability, 2. Conservation of biodiversity, 3. Clean air, 4. Healthy soils and clean waters, 5. Circular economy and conservation of natural resources, 6. Human health and the state of the environment, 7. Active Civil Society.

Each section presents the existing data and offers proposals on how to improve the country’s performance and implement a coherent and effective environmental and climate policy. Viewed in their entirety, these proposals form a package of ten cross-cutting reforms which seek to unlock the country’s greatest strengths in order to achieve a climate-neutral and ecologically sustainable future:

  1. Holding of two debates each year in the Greek Parliament, at the level of party leaders, on the country’s progress in all areas of environmental protection, the extent to which sustainability indicators have been achieved and the path towards climate neutrality.
  2. Establishment of an independent environmental authority to strengthen the mechanism of environmental inspections and the verification of compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
  3. Completion of spatial planning and abolition of off-plan construction.
  4. Sound legislation, with emphasis on simplicity, clarity, scientific documentation of the regulations introduced, and broad and transparent consultation.
  5. Establishment of a National Environment Agency.
  6. Establishment of a network of local environmental quality observatories, whose data will be made available publicly in open databases.
  7. Establishment, backed by cross-party consensus, of an enhanced consultative framework for achieving the effective participation of society in the decision-making process.
  8. Development of a framework for environmental education.
  9. Establishment of a system of green indicators, which will be presented annually as part of the State Budget.
  10. Clear shift of public investment policies to supporting climate-neutral activities.

It is the wish of the Foundation and the Scientific Committee that these reforms act as a springboard for extensive dialogue, broad consensus and political will for the sustainable future of our country.